Neil Lawrence’s pokies documentary pulls 372,000 viewers as 800 Words holds strong
The final project of adman Neil Lawrence, documentary Ka-Ching Pokie Nation, was aired on ABC at 9.30pm last night pulling in 372,000 viewers.
Lawrence, a respected political and social campaigner who worked for STW Group, died in July whilst on holiday with his family, and was a producer on the film which cast a light over the issues of gambling and slot machines in Australia.
The Big Bang Theory could only muster 905,000 at 8.40pm after getting more than 1m viewers last week, while 800 Words dipped slightly on last week but held up at 1.019m for Seven.
Ten’s The Biggest Loser Families continued to flounder in the 7.30pm slot with 486,000 viewers, down from 527,000 last Tuesday.
Neil Lawrence’s documentary, Ka-Ching Pokie Nation, was as outstanding as the story it told appalling.
The highly detrimental exploitation of predominantly vulnerable and/or low-income people for the benefit of a few, largely enabled in NSW by the so-called workers’ party under then-Premier Bob Carr is nothing short of a disgrace. With the cooperation of the ALP, the poker machines industry has manufactured a massive social problem in the poorest communities and households in NSW.
As the documentary points out, businesses around and beyond poker machine venues are deprived revenue for the supply of useful and essential goods and services – such as food and electricity – while a relatively few hotel licensees get fat on others’ misery – 60% of pokies revenue being from problem gamblers.
On that note, a formerly highly-placed NSW Government official appointed by Premier Carr and heavily involved with the hotel industry informed me that to that industry, a problem gambler is someone who does not gamble enough. Such is the attitude of publicans of average intelligence who, having hit the proverbial jackpot put their good fortune and attendant motor yachts, waterfront houses and luxury cars down to their intellect more than their dumb luck. But if you met any of them in the street, more likely you’d be struck by their corpulence and low-brow demeanour than their perspicacity.
The way a small section of society is so enriched by feeding off the misery of so many and to the detriment of more socially useful and worthwhile businesses is compellingly analogous to the way a cancer is fed by the blood supply of its victim. Pokies are such an abomination.
Tellingly, the head of Clubs NSW, Anthony Ball, said they would “spend whatever it takes” to thwart attempts to put limits on how much people can gamble in any one session, as was planned under legislation drafted by the Gillard Labor Government. As if more pleasure is derived by betting $10 than $1 or from losing $1000 instead of $100, as inevitably happens to anyone engaged by machine long enough. But they must support their local communities, mustn’t they?
The willingness and ability of Clubs NSW to perpetuate a serious social ill for the benefit of its proponents by throwing endless cash at it is redolent of the limitless financial resources drug cartels throw at defeating their enemies and defending their markets: Whatever it takes to protect the revenues, no matter the social cost.
The argument that clubs support local communities is specious alongside the collateral damage such “community fund raising” causes. Given the harm and the massive salaries paid the people overseeing the daily financial carnage that ensues each “fund raiser”, society could well do without such “benevolence”.
If Registered Clubs really cared for their members and communities they would find socially responsible ways to raise funds for their communities.
While they do so, poker machine numbers should be phased out at a rate of 5% of 2015 levels per annum until this scourge on society is eliminated. At least that would reduce the occurrences of subsequent generations of “gifted” publicans sucking the life out of their customers and local communities.
Could not agree more JB. I did not see the program, but have always maintained that the decision by Bob Carr to allow pokies in pubs is the single worst decision made by a government in Australia ever. Rarely has a single decision enriched such a few people whilst causing misery to so many…
C’mon – leave the good old Queen of the Nile alone. I love her so much. I have been playing non-stop every night for sixteen years and I still remember the one time I got the five pyramids. Friday 23 January 1998 at 8:12pm. What a night!
Agree JB,
It is about time someone made a documentary about the scourge of the poker machines. The RSL’s rake in millions from the poor and vulnerable each day. Gambling is an addiction akin to a Class “A” drug but this business carries on regardless.
The argument that they support the community is laughable. Each thing they do ,grudgingly, support is just part of a smokescreen for the gambling. The money comes from the community anyway.
It is a telling fact that, when smoking was no longer allowed inside, the Clubs went to great lengths to install poker machines in outside areas so that punters could smoke and gamble.
Your family friendly RS, with all its’ 5 Star glitz, is built on misery. Good on Neil for making this important film.
JV
really fascinating documentary on something that is a massive part of Aus culture but of which there is very little spoken about.
the whole ‘responsible gambling’ thing is a farce
I made a point of never working on cigarrettes but a month before being sacked, I walked into Russel Howcroft’s office at The Hale Agency with a character name for the million dollar pokie prize: Max-a-million! And Max was drawn up as a character with an insanely happy grin and haunted me in pubs for years when I glanced over to the pokies. I knew I as going to hell. But hell came to me when potato head Russell popped up in my loungeroom once a week, reminding me of my crime against humanity . I reckon I’ve served my time.
Potato Head. Nice.
Good DoCo, and down with Pokies.